Nuclear Fusion has long been considered the ultimate source of clean energy. As opposed to nuclear fission (the current technology in nuclear power plants), which generates energy by splitting neutrons, fusion technology generates energy through the combination of neutrons, the same as the energy that powers the sun. While capable of producing a great amount of energy, fission also produces radioactive waste material, and the mining, refining, and processing of fissionable materials such as uranium, plutonium, and thorium is a source of greenhouse gas emission and environmental degradation. Fusion, on the other hand, produces little to no waste and does not require radioactive starting materials (the deuterium-tritium (DT) reaction being one, which combines two isotopes of hydrogen to produce a neutron and a helium atom)--thus making it mankind's penultimate source of unlimited sustainable energy.

However attractive the prospect of using fusion is, it has always remained a mere hypothetical due to the massive amount of energy required to trigger the reaction. Generating more energy than consumed seemed as illusive as science fiction. But in 2023, researches from Lawrence Livermore National Lab, working with materials developed & manufactured by American Elements' AE Fusion Energy Division, produced the first ever reaction that resulted in a "net energy gain"--the output from the reaction surpassed the input. This milestone opens the door to a world powered by fusion energy.

American Elements has long supported researchers in the field of fusion energy, offering state-of-the-art materials and technical guidance. We have been key contributors to the experiments at numerous research facilities, national labs, and corporate development programs, such as Lawrence Livermore National Lab and EPFL in Switzerland. We are experienced with the specifications for Tomakak reactors and the precision materials required to ensure the purity of the plasma.

Innovation Case Study #34: American Elements Creates Detection Window for EPFL Fusion Reactor

#34: American Elements Creates Detection Window for EPFL Fusion Reactor

The Challenge

The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is a renowned Swiss research center in the field of nuclear fusion. The laboratory operates a unique Tokamak reactor. In 2023, the EPFL approached American Elements to provide a material that could act as a window allowing for micro detection of X-ray emissions from the reactor.

The Innovation

Based on extensive experience advising and supplying numerous fusion energy research programs, American Elements engineers produced a custom ultra thin high purity Beryllium metal foil sufficiently transparent to X-ray to meet EPFL detection specifications.

The Result

The "window" now allows passage of X-ray photons downstream to EPFL detectors that measure waste materials in the plasma that impact reactor performance. American Elements' materials and technical support continue to play major roles in the global effort to make fusion energy a reality, from the beryllium foil to EPFL to numerous materials developed and produced by American Elements as part of the 2023 first fusion reaction to produce net energy gain at Lawrence Livermore National Lab.
Below is merely a selection of the full catalog of Fusion Energy products that American Elements manufactures. If you do not see a material you're looking for listed, please search the website or contact AEfusionenergy@americanelements.com.

Selected Products Supplied to the Fusion Energy Industry

Aluminum Boride Aluminum Foil Aluminum Oxide Aluminum Zirconium Alloy
Barium Metal Barium Tetratitanate Barium Titanate (BaTi2O5) Barium Titanate(IV)
Beryllium Fluoride Beryllium Foil Beryllium Oxide Boron Nitride
Boron Pellets Boron Wafer Boron-11 Carbide Isotope Boron-11 Isotope
Boron-11 Isotope Sputtering Target Boron-11 Oxide Isotope BST (Barium Strontium Titanate) Cesium Iodide
Cesium Oxide Chromium Metal Copper Block Gadolinium Chloride
Gadolinium Chloride Anhydrous Gadolinium Oxide Gadolinium(III) Chloride Hydrate Indium Metal
Lithium Disc Lithium Fluoride Lutetium Metal Magnesium Oxide
Molybdenum Disilicide Molybdenum Metal Neodymium Metal Niobium C-103 Alloy
Niobium Metal Potassium Dihydrogen Phosphate Potassium Oxide Rubidium Oxide
Silicon Dioxide Silver Foil Tantalum Tube Terbium Chloride
Terbium Chloride, Anhydrous Terbium(III) Chloride Hydrate Terbium(III) Oxide Terbium(III,IV) Oxide
Titanium Foil TZM Molybdenum Alloy Ytterbium Oxide Yttrium Oxide
Zirconium Oxide Zirconium Tungstate